Telegram has updated the Android app with iOS 26’s new Liquid Glass design language.
This is now available on Telegram for Android version 12.4.0 which has been rolled out on the Play Store if you haven’t updated yet. The new design follows Apple’s new Liquid Glass aesthetic which was released last year as a visual update on iOS.
The biggest change you will notice is the 4 tabbed dock which is persistent at the bottom which is straight from the iOS sister app. The tabs are for Chats, Contacts, Settings and Profile. This is a change from the old style which featured a hamburger menu on the left to access various features. The rest of the features are found on the top right corner under the 3 vertical dot overflow menu. If you are on light mode, you can see a faint shadow as you move between tabs, which is reminiscent of the Liquid Glass effects on iOS.
I have seen some negative reactions towards the new change, which is expected due to human nature. However, if you have used iOS before, and especially iOS 26 with the new Liquid Glass user interface, you will feel right at home. Over time, this will feel natural as you switch between ecosystems, but I expect this not to be very popular at the moment.
